Pacing
by Lou-deadfroggy
Summary: Serena was an eighteen year old girl who lived around the time of the ancient romans. After her father sacrificed her to the gods a handsome stranger called Remi saved her. This is her story as she travels the dangerous world of the immortals.
1. Prologue

**Pacing**

Disclaimer: Not mine, all rights to Stephanie Meyer.

Serena.

This must be what dying feels like. I am dying, they would not have let me live. They are burning me, my father's sacrifice to the gods. I wonder where I shall go.

Everything focused itself suddenly to reveal my surroundings. It was dark but that did not matter anymore, the darkness no longer hid things from me. I was in a cellar, surrounded by crates and sacks. I could smell the dust floating in the air, the vegetables slowly rotting in the damp. I was not alone. There was a man standing next to the ladder.

"Good morning missy," the man leaned over to look me in the face. I gasped at the sight of his face. It was god-like, smooth, perfect and beautiful. His eyes were deep red, which scared me. Do gods have red eyes?

The man sighed and crouched down beside me. He did not look that much older than me, only twenty and five years or so.

"How are you feeling?" he asked me. I struggled to sit up. Everything was new, everything was strange.

"Strange, thirsty," I answered, that made him sigh again. It was true for never before had I felt such a desperate thirst the burned my throat and excluded all other thought.

"Come on then," the man stood up and made towards the ladder. I followed, amazed that my limbs could react in such ways. I felt strong. Quickly I looked around the cellar but suddenly I could see more. More than a dirty room with piles of crates, more than musty sacks of turnips and carrots; I could see people, workers hauling the sacks, overseers giving orders. Then I could see the red-eyed man coming down the ladder carrying a body in his arm. The body was me; I was laying very still, pain etched all over my face, my eyes burning red. I turned to face the ladder again but the vision vanished. There was just him there, looking at me.

"Coming missy?" he asked. I nodded then followed him up the ladder.

"My name is Remi by the way," he held out his hand.

"Serena," I answered.

"Well the Serena, welcome to the afterlife," Remi grinned and led the way out of the abandoned farm house.


	2. Aro

**Pacing**

**Chapter One**

**Rome**

Remi

Serena jumped down from the carriage, her golden eyes gleaming in the Mediterranean sun. I smiled at her, my little ray of sun. It was her idea to only feed on animal blood; the darling thing never touched the human I killed on that first day. She just went straight for the cow. It gave me quite a start. So now I have brought her to Rome in hope that we may be able to readjust to human life. If anyone can, it will be her: Serena and her strange gift.

"Father, come and look at this!" Serena skipped ahead then stopped suddenly to admire a tiny flower by the roadside. Father, I like that name.

"What is it?" I humoured her short attention span.

"Look at all these people, oh!" she dropped to her knees again to stare at something only she could see.

"What?" I asked.

"There is a child, dying here, can you not see him?" Serena was still staring at the grass.

"There is nothing there, are you sure?" I grasped her shoulders to pull her back onto her feet. That was when I noticed that she was crying.

"Father, we have to do something, he is dying! He is just a child!" Serena sobbed.

"Dear, I can see nothing, come on, let us go," I pulled her up.

"Yes, yes, it has already passed," she sighed and looked up at the city. I realised that I would have to distract her quickly before she became too upset about the dead child.

The driver continued to a secluded villa in one of the nicer neighbourhoods. I had inherited a large sum of gold from my uncle about fifty years earlier. It was here that I decided to spend the next few decades if not centuries. The Mediterranean weather was not ideal but Rome was full enough of strangers for us to go unnoticed and interesting enough for Serena not to get bored. I had saved her whilst she was still young and, though I was only twenty-five when I was changed, I was old before my years. A century of wandering had aged me beyond counting. No, Rome held little interest for me but Serena had an eternity of youth to enjoy.

Immediately upon arrival Serena began exploring the villa. She chattered away about all of the past owners and even the builders. I was scarcely listening until she broke off mid-sentence and gasped.

"Serena?" I peered around the door frame. There she was, kneeling on the floor, staring at an invisible sight.

"He was here, the dead boy. He used to live here," her voice quivered slightly. This was a very disturbing coincidence. I decided to show her the city, in hope that her flighty mind would once again become distracted.

"Come, let me show you Rome," I led her out of the door. Serena hesitated then followed.

Dear Father,

I love Britannia. This little island is wonderful! I spent today by the river with Quintus. It is quite cold here, colder than home but that makes the trees smell nice. I should very much like for you to come and visit here with me because you would like it and I miss you. Please come, it rains a lot so we can go out almost every day. Quintus does not understand why I love the rain so much.

With all my love,

Serena

Dear Father,

I have been in Britannia before. I was born here. I have seen myself here. I am coming back to Rome at once.

With my love,

Serena

Remi

I should never have agreed for Serena to visit Britannia but Quintus wanted to show her the new conquest. I thought it would be nice for her, a change of scenery. I never thought that she might see herself there, back when she was human. I am a fool to let her go away. When she came back, she locked herself in the library and not one word has passed her lips. I have yet to get her to speak with me. I do worry about her.

"Serena? Are you alright?" I called through the door. There was nothing but silence behind it.

"Serena?" I pushed at the door, surprised to find that she had unlocked it. Stepping into the library I looked around for her. My little Serena was curled up behind the largest book I had ever seen, I was not even sure that I owned it.

"Serena?" I asked again. She did not lower the book.

"I... I saw them all, my old family. I saw their funerals. They are all dead. The plague," she stuttered. I understood she missed her living family. I walked over to her.

"What are you reading?" I peered at the book in her hands.

"Socrates," she said, pulling the book back. I thought it was best if I left her to it.

Serena

Years passed and we saw the Kings of Rome fall, the Republic rise and I was present at the assassination of Julius Cesar. That was a mistake; Remi lectured me for three months afterwards. He actually sat me down and told me off for three months without stop. That man is incredibly long winded although I did hold my breath for two weeks, just for fun. After that I went back to my books. I read every rambling those Greek philosophers wrote down. Remi never noticed the sudden increase in the amount of books in the villa or if he did he never mentioned it.

It was shortly after my one hundredth birthday that we met the Volturi. Well, I met Aro. He came to Rome on a rainy evening. Everyone else was inside, well protected from the winter chill, everyone except me. I was walking back from the library, with my cloak covering yet another scroll. It was wet and I was anxious that my scroll would not be damaged.

A carriage came round the corner, pulled by the finest horses I have ever seen. I stood aside to let it pass but to my surprise it stopped just a few paces from me. The door opened and I smelled something I never thought would appear on the streets of Rome. There was another vampire inside the carriage.

"Good day young madam, may I escort you home? It is such terrible weather this evening," a velvet voice floated out from the interior of the carriage. I was downwind of him so he probably thought I was human. Carefully I stepped towards it.

"Why thank you," I climbed into the carriage. There was, as I had sensed an extraordinarily pale and handsome man sitting on the bench. He jumped as he saw me; yes he was expecting a human girl. He recovered quickly, I will give him that.

"Well, this is an unexpected surprise, where shall the driver set you?" he smiled at me.

"XII-XIV," I told him. He passed the address on to the driver. He studied me for a moment and I let my barriers down. Suddenly my head was filled with images of this man's past: his human life, his re-birth, his second life as a vampire. Whilst I effectively filtered through his past he just smiled and examined me.

"My name is Aro, I am from Volterra," he held out a hand for me to shake. I did not take it. He had a gift, like mine. With one touch he would know everything I did, everything I had felt, thought, done and seen. I knew that for I had seen him discover it.

"I am Serena," I smiled back.

"Are there many others of our kind here?" he asked.

"No, just me and my creator, Remi," I should know for I had spent many years searching for any other immortals in Italia. I had even gone as far as Gaul to try and find some others. Our kind was good at hiding.

"In Volterra, I have two brothers, you are welcome to visit us," Aro offered. I was unsure as to how to answer for I had never met another of our kind before.

"Thank you, I would certainly enjoy that," I chose to accept his offer gracefully. He smiled again. The carriage stopped outside our villa and Aro held the door open for me.

"Will you not come and meet my father?" I asked.

"Please give him my regards but I have to feed, your eyes betray you Miss Serena, I have no wish to change my diet," with that he drove off into the night. I hurried home.


	3. Didyme

**Pacing**

**Chapter Two**

**Didyme**

Disclaimer: still not mine, all right to Meyer.

Serena

Remi did not like the sound of my encounter with Aro, he had heard of the Volturi before and was full of cautionary advice. Like the child he expected me to be, I completely ignored him. For a relatively young vampire, my creator was an old bore.

The next summer I went to Volterra. The city was beautiful, not in the same way as Rome but the architecture was just as pleasant. It was a fine day, cloudy and cold, the perfect day for me to be outside. I followed my sense of smell to by far the largest, most imposing building in the town. I was not really surprised that these immortals lived in such grand surroundings.

The house was more of a palace, secluded behind the clock tower in the main square. The entrance was grand, tall marble pillars topped with intricate carvings and surmounted by a Greek frieze. Even after living in Rome the home of the Volturi impressed me.

As I approached the gilded doors, they opened, I was expected. Inside, the main entrance was as imposing as the exterior. A sweeping marble staircase rose in front of me. A human attendant stood behind the doors, this surprised me. He was smiling as if this was the most natural place for him to be; a local, judging by his skin and hair.

"I will show you to my masters' chambers," he said and led the way up the stairs. I frowned, what was he doing here? Surely the Volturi kept their existence secret? I was showed to a richly decorated hall with an ornate door at the far end. The human smiled again and left me. I walked up to the door.

Inside was a large circular chamber. In the centre there were three thrones. The high windows let shafts of light illuminate patterns on the stone floor. Aro was sitting on the middle throne. Two others were seated, flanking their leader.

"Serena! Welcome, we were not expecting you so soon," Aro rose and gracefully walked towards me. The other two followed.

"You have a fine house," I commented, Aro chuckled.

"Oh, this is nothing. Come, meet my brothers," he smiled and mentioned for them to come forward.

"This is Marcus," he pointed to the other, dark haired man.

"And Caius," I judged it would be safe to shake hands with the other two but kept my distance from Aro. Marcus regarded me for a moment, and then placed his hand in Aro's. So I was right, it was better not to touch him.

"Yes, I thought so too," Aro murmured. He smiled at me. A lot had happened in this room. I saw that these three were older than Remi, nearly seven centauries old. The lack of spoken words due to Aro's gift frustrated me as there was little for me to hear. They were still studying me.

"You have a gift, Serena?" Aro asked.

"Yes, why do you ask?" my self-preservation kicked in.

"You saw that my touch meant more than another's, how?" I sensed Caius close in on me.

"I can, see things, things other people cannot," I did not specify more than that yet it was enough for Aro' eyes to light up with greed.

"You saw correctly, I was blessed with the ability to know everything. One touch is all it takes," he walked towards me, his hand outstretched. I backed away slowly. At that moment the door opened and in came a female vampire. She looked similar to Aro; I saw that they were siblings. As she entered, I felt instantly pleasant and content, my fear gone. Aro scowled as she walked over to me.

"Hello, you must be Serena, Aro said you might visit. I am Didyme, his sister," she smiled and I could not help but smiling back.

"What do you want with her, Aro?" Didyme asked him.

"I, she has a gift that might be useful to me, I simply wanted to see for myself," Aro explained.

"Well, why did you not just ask?" she turned to me; "Would you tell my brother about your talent?" again she smiled at me.

"I can see the past, everything that has happened," Didyme obviously had a gift yet I had a hard time concentrating, I was just so happy to be here. I wished these people would stop trying to mess with my mind. Aro smiled, I guessed that I had said too much.

"Caius, would you please find Chelsea and ask her to come in here," Aro ordered and his blond friend made to leave the room. Who was Chelsea and why did Aro send for her?

"That's not fair Aro!" Didyme stopped Caius before he left.

"Why? Who is Chelsea?" I asked her.

"Chelsea is another of our number," Didyme explained.

"Enough!" Aro shouted at his sister. "I just want Serena to meet us all," his anger vanished as soon as it had come. I flicked through the past events of this room and saw another three women, I assumed one of them was Chelsea but, without having seen her I knew little of her gift.

"Come Serena, we will leave the men to themselves for now," Didyme led me out of the chamber. Once the door was firmly closed behind us she sighed.

"My apologies, Aro sees others as, collectable items. You would have been a nice addition to his collection," I followed her down another staircase to a plain, wooden door. Before opening it she took hold of my shoulders and looked me in the eye.

"You should leave Volterra quickly; Aro will probably send the guard after you. Do not go home, he will come for you. Run, leave Italy. Leave Europe if you must. You have a powerful gift; do not let my brother find you," Didyme sighed again.

"Marcus and I are to leave them soon, we will try and find you again," I nodded.

"Thank you," I said.

"Good luck," Didyme opened the door for me. I hurried out into a narrow alleyway. The door shut behind me. No doubt Aro would soon learn of his sister's intents and I would be hunted. Hitching up my skirt I ran towards the city walls. It was still quite dark and there was no-one about so I decided to scale the walls. Hopefully there were no trackers amongst the Volturi guard. The wall was not very high and I easily scaled it. I had no knowledge of the surrounding area and would easily get lost. I decided to follow the road, I could be more easily traced but it would keep me from getting lost. I ran. I ran faster than I ever had before. Within seconds I was at the city gate. Suddenly my thoughts went to my father. As Didyme had warned me, Aro would look in Rome first. I had to warn Remi. No, they would follow me first; I would run and keep my distance from him. That way he would be safe. I continued to run north, towards Genoa. Maybe I would go to Gaul or Germania. For now I had to run.

**I won't write another chapter until I get a review from someone I don't know in real life!**


	4. Marcus

**Disclaimer: Not mine. **

**Marcus**

Serena

What brought me here? How had I ended up back in Volterra? Twenty years of hiding and I just ran straight back to the one place I should never go. But I had to check. Check that they never found Remi. Check Didyme got out.

"Who's there?" a smooth voice rang out behind me. I froze as the scent wafted towards me. Time to go, I thought.

"Hey! Stop!" the voice called after me as I ran. I began to repeat some words I wasn't sure I knew as I skidded to a halt in a cul-de-sac. Oh great, I was trapped. The trailing vampire kept coming. I could hear his steady paces nearing me.

"Serena?" the dreamy, bored voice asked.

"Who is it?" I asked.

"Marcus," the voice seemed sad. It was a familiar name though so I relaxed.

"Hello Marcus, how is Didyme?" I began walking towards him. He sighed.

"She... See for yourself." I instantly regretted ever asking. I saw the day Aro told him Didyme was dead and I saw Chelsea standing behind him.

"I should take you to Aro," Marcus said.

"Please, Marcus, I was just..." I began to back away.

"Do not worry. Go but I warn you, do not go to Rome." With that he walked away. The sinking feeling in my stomach coupled with the wrenching in my chest. Once again I fled from Volterra.

**What do you think? Please review, please!**


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